The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-03-05
The sunny South.
nprNADA AANDTYPICALM LMIss1ssIPPI
e" HOsPITALIrY.


rhe strestor excursionists to Mardi
Gas and the South left home Tues
dsy morning under the guide of JUS
t,ce W. s. Painter, who has succeed
ID 80 well in his endeavors to instruct
,he residents. Of the Prairie State in
the undeyeloped but yet manifestly
,a.enlivened resources Of Mississippi.
The party also contained ]. w. For
nof +. F. Meek, Richard Creber and
FC. Blandin, of Streator, and G. w.
nlandin, of Rutland. Mrs DR.. Leroy
vas also member Of the party at the
outset, though afterwards joining q
company Of friends from Manchester,
Iowa.
snecial train that was being run by
The Illinois Central railroad compa-
nv. for the sole accommodation of the
Jackson, (Miss.) and New Orleans
excursionists. A number of distin-
ruished gentlemen were present on
the train, including Hon. H. D. Sher.
man, of Monticello, Iowa, state dairy
commissioner, and Mr.. Ed. P. Seeds,
Of Manchester, Iowa, who on behalf of
the excursionists to the dairy conven-
ton delivered the. responses to the
addresses Of welcome of Ex- x-G0vernor
Lowery and the mayor of jackson,
Miss. At Centralia the train was
completed by the addition of the
Chicago contingent, and then mum.
bered about three hundred happy ex-
cursionists to the land, of summer.
From this point the train was under
the personal supervision of Mr.. j. F.
Merry, of Manchester, general pas
senger agent of the Illinois Central,
and by his constant forethought and
numerous personal attentions, the
pleasure of the journey was much en-
hanced.
The day was cold and rainys dreary
and dismal and continuedso through
out the night. Jackson, Tenn, was
reached at daylight, Tuesday morn
Ing. This is thriving city, the in.
tersection of the main lines of the H.
linois Central land the Mobile & Ohio
railroads. and is division headquar-
ters for both roads, but our view of it
was destroyed by dense overhang-
Ing fog, the last vestige of a storm
that was then concluding; but which
had been general from the lakes to
the gulf. Some of the fog lifted and a
view of the country was obtained. 1t
was marked by five distinct charac-
teristics: 1t was all heavily timber
ed, though judging from the size of
the trees they had grown since the
war. The typical southern mansion
house was nowhere to be seen, but the
country was sparsely dotted with
small dilapldated log shanties, their
numbers indicating u very thin pop.
ulatlon. The darkey had made his
appearance in large numbers and
more varying attitudes of ease than
the fertile brain of a "Yankee" could
ever invent. The black, alluvial soil
that is the pride of Illinois, and the
source of her prolific crops, has dis
appeared with the Ohio river, and
has been replaced by a peculiar red
tolored clay, not of a dingy red color
but bright red, almost vermilion; fl
nally this soil Is very liable to wash
and gully with the rainfall, and if a
field is left without care for few sea-
Sons, the water will form gullies that
are from two to six or eight feet deep,
and branch in every direction like
tlie tops Of u tree. On account of this
tendency Of the land to "wash," the
cotton is not planted in straight lines
as is corn in Illinois, but is planted in
circular or curved rows, the ridges
forming dams that prevent the water
from running in streams down the
hillsides. These are the main char
acteristics Of the country bordering
on the Illinois Central railroad
throughout Tennessee and the upper
10 miles of Mississippi.
The train Is now speeding through
. portion Of the country made historic
by vari6Hs fiiinor battles during the
war. Tie Crossing Of the two forks of
the Hatchie river frequently disputed
ny the opposing forces, while Bolivar
was also the scene of stirring events.
as we approached Grand junction.
hasalle county was vividly brought
To mind T m n, od IN n1x, nv, tho n r,rth